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Myeik Archipelago​ Island Living

Kawthaung at the south end of Myanmear

The city of Myeik (Mergui) is about half way from Yangon to Kawthaung at the south end of the country and is a prime fishing destination where fish trawler offloads their catch.

Slowly it becomes also a tourist destination as a starting point to visit the islands of the Andaman Sea, it is possible to hire local boats for some adventure tours.

The possibilities are given, either take the aircraft or the steamer from Yangon. To move from Myeik down south Myanmar to the Thailand border it's again the domestic airline or the coastal speedboat which leaves Kawthaung at 7 am. There is also a bus but the winding road is still from British times and in very bad condition. The whole is not very travel-friendly at all because the government leased most land to private companies a long time ago who block most access.

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In the ASEAN south sea

Domestic flights into the Myeik Archipelago are several every day but no international connections cost about $ 120 from Yangon o/w.

Although Ranong is easily reachable with the ferry from Kawthaung the Myanmar government is not issuing visas here, actually almost nothing has changed since the British left actually it's even worst now 2017 than it was during the 19th Century. Typical arabesque thinking of the bureaucrats in Naypyidaw they want a visa from their Bangkok consulate first. In both places are some hotels with not very inviting conditions but only on one island opposite Kawthaung which is leased to a Thai company which operates a casino plus beach resort.

These places have a rich heritage from British colonial times and Chinese traders passed through since ancient times trading pearls, amber, and fishes. Until about 200 years ago this was Siam (Thailand) territory when the English moved out the Burmese took over.Tourism is almost zero although one of the best travel destination in the whole world is in the archipelago of the Andaman Sea. Until now only live aboard trips from Phuket are coming in for scuba diving. The almost 800 islands just in front have no infrastructure at all.

Some of the spots are inhabited by sea gypsies who came from somewhere east of Indonesia several hundred years ago, actually, nobody knows when. They make a living from fishing, hunting (there are plenty of animals on the islands) pearl diving and collection amber.

Want to know more about this area its here: The scene somehow reminds to Joseph Conrads books about the Congo more than hundred years ago and to the descriptions of the places

This is a secondary Andaman Sea port behind Kawthaung and upcoming Dawai. Connected to Yangon and Mawlamyine by sea, road and air, to further south are no roads. This small city is situated on a tidal cut-off connecting the Tanintharyi and Kyaukpya rivers. Secluded beaches are around and on the islands but all is quiet and no tourism nothing like Patong Beach further south in Thailand.

Here is one of the last smuggling centers in Asia and an upcoming tourism destination has a abundance of marine life. Mostly ancient boats arrive continually to unload lobster, stingray and a great variety of other species. ​

The Salone People (Sea Gypsies) are living here

South Myanmar Pictures

Also know under the name "Sea Gypsies" and Moken in Thailand, they are probably the natives and of negroid type who came from the south Pacific more than thousand years ago.